Logarithms

Logarithms appear in all sorts of calculations in engineering and science, business and economics. Before the days of calculators they were used to assist in the process of multiplication by replacing the operation of multiplication by addition. Similarly, th ey enabled the operation of division to be replaced by subtraction. They remain important in other w ays, one of which is that they provide the underlying theory of the logarithm function. Th is has applications in many elds, for example, the decibel scale in acoustics. In order to master the techniques explained here it is vital that you do plenty of practice exercises so that they become second nature. After reading this text and / or viewing the video tutorial on this topic you should be able to: explain what is meant by a logarithm state and use the laws of logarithms solve simple equations requiring the use of logarithms. Contents 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. Introduction Why do we study logarithms ? What is a logarithm ? Exercises The rst law of logarithms The second law of logarithms The third law of logarithms The logarithm of 1 Examples Exercises Standard bases 10 and e Using logarithms to solve equations Inverse operations Exercises log and ln log a xy = log a x + log a y loga x m = m loga x log a
x y

2 2 if x = an then log a x = n 3 4 4 5 5 6 6 8 8 9 10 11

= log a x loga y

loga 1 = 0

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1. Introduction
In this unit we are going to be looking at logarithms. However, before we can deal with logarithms we need to revise indices. This is because logarithms and indices are closely related, and in order to understand logarithms a good knowledge of indices is required. We know that 16 = 24 Here, the number 4 is the power. Sometimes we call it an exponent. Sometimes we call it an index. In the expression 24 , the number 2 is called the base. Example We know that 64 = 82 . In this example 2 is the power, or exponent, or index. The number 8 is the base.

2. Why do we study logarithms ?

In order to motivate our study of logarithms, consider the following: we know that 16 = 24 . We also know that 8 = 23 Suppose that we wanted to multiply 16 by 8. One way is to carry out the multiplication directly using long-multiplication and obtain 128. But this could be long and tedious if the numbers were larger than 8 and 16. Can we do this calculation another way using the powers ? Note that 16 8 This equals 27 using the rules of indices which tell us to add the powers 4 and 3 to give the new power, 7. What was a multiplication sum has been reduced to an addition sum. Similarly if we wanted to divide 16 by 8: 16 8 This equals 21 or simply 2 using the rules of indices which tell us to subtract the powers 4 and 3 to give the new power, 1. If we had a look-up table containing powers of 2, it would be straightforward to look up 27 and obtain 27 = 128 as the result of nding 16 8. Notice that by using the powers, we have changed a multiplication problem into one involving addition (the addition of the powers, 4 and 3). Historically, this observation led John Napier (1550-1617) and Henry Briggs (1561-1630) to develop logarithms as a way of replacing multiplication with addition, and also division with subtraction. can be written 24 2 3 can be written 24 2 3

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3. What is a logarithm ?
Consider the expression 16 = 24 . Remember that 2 is the base, and 4 is the power. An alternative, yet equivalent, way of writing this expression is log2 16 = 4. This is stated as log to base 2 of 16 equals 4. We see that the logarithm is the same as the power or index in the original expression. It is the base in the original expression which becomes the base of the logarithm. The two statements 16 = 24 log2 16 = 4 are equivalent statements. If we write either of them, we are automatically implying the other. Example If we write down that 64 = 82 then the equivalent statement using logarithms is log8 64 = 2. Example If we write down that log3 27 = 3 then the equivalent statement using powers is 33 = 27. So the two sets of statements, one involving powers and one involving logarithms are equivalent. In the general case we have:

Key Point
if x = an then equivalently loga x = n

Let us develop this a little more. Because 10 = 101 we can write the equivalent logarithmic form log10 10 = 1. Similarly, the logarithmic form of the statement 21 = 2 is log2 2 = 1. In general, for any base a, a = a1 and so loga a = 1.

Key Point
loga a = 1

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We can see from the Examples above that indices and logarithms are very closely related. In the same way that we have rules or laws of indices, we have laws of logarithms. These are developed in the following sections.

4. Exercises
1. Write the following using logarithms instead of powers a) 82 = 64 e) i) a) e) i) m) 106 = 1000000 51 = log3 9 log4 64 log3 loga a
1 27 5 1 5

b)

35 = 243

c)

210 = 1024 d) h)

53 = 125 60 = 1
1 4

f) 103 = 0.001 g) 32 = 1 9 2/3 j) 49 = 7 k) 27 = 9 log2 32 log25 5 log7 1 logc c c) g) k) o) log5 125 d) log8 2 log8 logs s
1 8

l) 322/5 =

2. Determine the value of the following logarithms b) f) j) n) log10 10000 log81 3 log4 8 loge
1 e3

h) l) p)

5. The rst law of logarithms

Suppose x = an then the equivalent logarithmic forms are loga x = n Using the rst rule of indices Now the logarithmic form of the statement xy = an+m is loga xy = n + m. But n = loga x and m = loga y from (1) and so putting these results together we have loga xy = loga x + loga y So, if we want to multiply two numbers together and nd the logarithm of the result, we can do this by adding together the logarithms of the two numbers. This is the rst law. xy = an am = an+m and loga y = m (1) and y = am

Key Point
loga xy = loga x + loga y

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6. The second law of logarithms

Suppose x = an , or equivalently loga x = n. Suppose we raise both sides of x = an to the power m: xm = (an )m Using the rules of indices we can write this as xm = anm Thinking of the quantity xm as a single term, the logarithmic form is loga xm = nm = m loga x This is the second law. It states that when nding the logarithm of a power of a number, this can be evaluated by multiplying the logarithm of the number by that power.

Key Point
loga xm = m loga x

7. The third law of logarithms

As before, suppose x = an with equivalent logarithmic forms loga x = n Consider x y. x = an am y = anm using the rules of indices. In logarithmic form loga which from (2) can be written loga This is the third law. 5
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and

y = am

and

loga y = m

(2)

x =nm y

x = loga x loga y y

Key Point
loga x = loga x loga y y

8. The logarithm of 1
Recall that any number raised to the power zero is 1: a0 = 1. The logarithmic form of this is loga 1 = 0

Key Point
loga 1 = 0

The logarithm of 1 in any base is 0.

9. Examples
Example Suppose we wish to nd log2 512. This is the same as being asked what is 512 expressed as a power of 2 ? Now 512 is in fact 29 and so log2 512 = 9. Example Suppose we wish to nd log8 1 . 64

1 expressed as a power of 8 ? This is the same as being asked what is 64 1 can be written 641 . Noting also that 82 = 64 it follows that Now 64 1 = 641 = (82 )1 = 82 64 using the rules of indices. So log8
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1 = 2. 64 6

Example Suppose we wish to nd log5 25. This is the same as being asked what is 25 expressed as a power of 5 ? Now 52 = 25 and so log5 25 = 2. Example Suppose we wish to nd log25 5. This is the same as being asked what is 5 expressed as a power of 25 ? 1 1 We know that 5 is a square root of 25, that is 5 = 25. So 25 2 = 5 and so log25 5 = 2 . Notice from the last two examples that by interchanging the base and the number log25 5 = This is true more generally: 1 log5 25

Key Point
logb a = 1 loga b

To illustrate this again, consider the following example. Example Consider log2 8. We are asking what is 8 expressed as a power of 2 ? We know that 8 = 23 and so log2 8 = 3. What about log8 2 ? Now we are asking what is 2 expressed as a power of 8 ? Now 23 = 8 1 and so 2 = 3 8 or 81/3 . So log8 2 = . 3 We see again 1 log8 2 = log2 8

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10. Exercises
3 Each of the following expressions can be simplied to log N. Determine the value of N in each case. We have not explicitly written down the base. You can assume the base is 10, but the results are identical whichever base is used. a) log 3 + log 5 d) 2 log 3 3 log 2 g) 5 log 2 + 2 log 5 j) log 12 2 log 2 + log 3 b) e) h) k) log 236 + log 1 5 log 2 + 4 log 3 3 log 4 log 128 7 log 2 log 16 log 2 c) f) i) l) 3 log 4 log 2 + log 3 + log 4 log 10 + 2 log 3 log 2 log 236 log 1

11. Standard bases

There are two bases which are used much more commonly than any others and deserve special mention. These are base 10 and base e Logarithms to base 10, log10 , are often written simply as log without explicitly writing a base down. So if you see an expression like log x you can assume the base is 10. Your calculator will be pre-programmed to evaluate logarithms to base 10. Look for the button marked log. The second common base is e. The symbol e is called the exponential constant and has a value approximately equal to 2.718. This is a number like in the sense that it has an innite decimal expansion. Base e is used because this constant occurs frequently in the mathematical modelling of many physical, biological and economic applications. Logarithms to base e, loge , are often written simply as ln. If you see an expression like ln x you can assume the base is e. Such logarithms are also called Naperian or natural logarithms. Your calculator will be pre-programmed to evaluate logarithms to base e. Look for the button marked ln.

Key Point
Common bases: log means log10 where e is the exponential constant. Useful results: log 10 = 1, ln means loge

ln e = 1

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12. Using logarithms to solve equations

We can use logarithms to solve equations where the unknown is in the power. Suppose we wish to solve the equation 3x = 5. We can solve this by taking logarithms of both sides. Whilst logarithms to any base can be used, it is common practice to use base 10, as these are readily available on your calculator. So, log 3x = log 5 Now using the laws of logarithms, the left hand side can be re-written to give x log 3 = log 5 This is more straightforward. The unknown is no longer in the power. Straightaway x= log 5 log 3

If we wanted, this value can be found from a calculator. Example Solve 3x = 5x2 . Again, notice that the unknown appears in the power. Take logs of both sides. log 3x = log 5x2 Now use the laws of logarithms. x log 3 = (x 2) log 5 Notice now that the x we are trying to nd is no longer in a power. Multiplying out the brackets x log 3 = x log 5 2 log 5 Rearrange this equation to get the two terms involving x on one side and the remaining term on the other side. 2 log 5 = x log 5 x log 3 Factorise the right-hand side by extracting the common factor of x. 2 log 5 = x(log 5 log 3) 5 = x log 3 using the laws of logarithms. And nally x= 2 log 5 log 5 3

If we wanted, this value can be found from a calculator.

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13. Inverse operations

Suppose we pick a base, 2 say. Suppose we pick a power, 8 say. We will now raise the base 2 to the power 8, to give 28 . Suppose we now take logarithms to base 2 of 28 . We then have log2 28 Using the laws of logarithms we can write this as 8 log2 2 Recall that loga a = 1, so log2 2 = 1, and so we have simply 8 again, the number we started with. So, raising the base 2 to a power, and then nding the logarithm to base 2 of the result are inverse operations. Lets look at this another way. Suppose we pick a number, 8 say. Suppose we nd its logarithm to base 2, to evaluate log2 8. Suppose we now raise the base 2 to this power: 2log2 8 . Because 8 = 23 we can write this as 2log2 2 . Using the laws of logarithms this equals 23 log2 2 which equals 23 or 8, since log2 2 = 1. We see that raising the base 2 to the logarithm of a number to base 2 results in the original number. So raising a base to a power, and nding the logarithm to that base are inverse operations. Doing one operation, and then following it by the other, we end up where we started. Example Suppose we are working in base e. We can pick a number x and evaluate ex . If we follow this by taking logarithms to base e we obtain ln ex Using the laws of logarithms this equals x ln e but ln e = 1 and so we are left with simply x again. So, raising the base e to a power, and then nding logarithms to base e are inverse operations. Example Suppose we are working in base 10. We can pick a number x and evaluate 10x . If we follow this by taking logarithms to base 10 we obtain log 10x Using the laws of logarithms this equals x log 10 but log 10 = 1 and so we are left with simply x again. So, raising the base 10 to a power, and then nding logarithms to base 10 are inverse operations.
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3

10

Key Point
ln ex = x, Similarly, log 10x = x, 10log x = x eln x = x

These results will be useful in doing calculus, especially in solving dierential equations.

14. Exercises
4 Use logarithms to solve the following equations a) 10x = 5 e) i) 4x = 12 x = 10 b) ex = 8 c) k) 10x =
1 x 3 1 2

d) h) l)

ex = 0.1 10 = e
1 x 2 x

f) 3x = 2 j) ex =

g) 7x = 1 =2

1 100 2x1

Answers to Exercises on Logarithms 1. a) log8 64 = 2 d) log5 125 = 3 g) log3 2. a) e) i) m) 2 3 3 5

1 9

b) e) h) k) c) g) k) 3
1 3

log3 243 = 5 log10 1000000 = 6 log6 1 = 0 log27 9 = d) h) l) p) 4

1 4 3 2 2 3

c)

log2 1024 = 10
1 5 log32 1 4

j) log49 7 = b) f) n) b) f) j)

= 2
1 2

f) log10 0.001 = 3 i) log5 l) = 1

2 = 5

5
1 2

j) 0
1 2

o) 1 c) g) k)

1 64

3 d) h)
9 8

3. a) 15 e) i) 236 24

8 236 9

800
2592 64

1 45

81 2

l)

4. All answers are correct to 3 decimal places a) 0.699 b) e) i) 1.792 2.011 f) j) 2.079 0.631 c) 0.301 0.631 d) h) l) 2.303 6.644 3.305
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g) 0

1.145 k)

11